September 2008 Annual Report

Transcription

1 September 2008 Annual Report Black Duck Satellite Radio (PTT) Telemetry Study: examining local and geographic habitat use patterns over the annual life cycle and connections among significant biomes. Principal Investigators: Tina Yerkes, PhD Director of Conservation Planning Ducks Unlimited Inc. Great Lakes/Atlantic Regional Office 1220 Eisenhower Place 245 Townsend Hall Ann Arbor, MI Newark, DE Jake Bowman, PhD Associate Professor of Wildlife Ecology Dept. of Entomology & Wildlife Ecology University of Delaware Partners: Paul Castelli, New Jersey Division of Fish & Wildlife Gary Costanzo, Virginia Department of Game & Inland Fisheries Dave Sherman, Ohio Division of Wildlife Matthew DiBona, Delaware Division of Fish & Wildlife Greg Soulliere, USFWS, Upper Mississippi River & Great Lakes Joint Venture Pat Devers, USFWS, Black Duck Joint Venture Graduate Research Assistant: Kurt Anderson University of Delaware Newark, DE Office: Cell: Project Funding Partners and Cooperators: New Jersey Division of Fish & Wildlife Virginia Department of Game & Inland Fisheries Ohio Division of Wildlife Delaware Division of Fish & Wildlife Upper Mississippi River & Great Lakes Joint Venture Black Duck Joint Venture The Nature Conservancy Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge Cape May National Wildlife Refuge Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge

2 2 Problem Statement The identification of migration routes and factors influencing time budgets and distribution during migration is largely unknown and is a priority research need identified by the BDJV. Specifically this research will address this need by 1) Identifying migration routes and potential linkages among wintering, migration (spring and fall) and breeding location; 2) Documenting local habitat use and movement patterns, and examining variation among wintering areas; 3) Documenting geographic habitat use patterns, identifying key migration areas, and examining variation over both spring and fall migration among hens from different wintering areas; and 4) Determining migration chronology, duration of stay and turnover, and examining variation among hens from different wintering areas. Justification American black ducks (Anas rubripes), a species of international management concern, appear to have increased within the primary breeding range since 1990 (Figure 1, USFWS 2007) but the population size remains 27% below the North American Waterfowl Management Plan (NAWMP 2004) population goal of 640,000. Counter to recent spring survey estimates, the Midwinter Inventory (MWI) indicates a decline by as much as 60% on traditional wintering areas, with the most substantial losses occurring in the Mississippi and southern Atlantic Flyways. In the Mississippi and Atlantic Flyway, the 2007 midwinter index was 52% and 14% below the 10-year average, respectively (Figure 2). Mid-winter counts in both flyways combined currently remain 19% below the 10-year average (USFWS 2007). The cause for decline in American black ducks in the western and southern portions of their range has been an issue of great debate. The 5 prevailing hypotheses include: harvest, competition and/or hybridization with mallards, non-breeding habitat loss/damage potentially affecting non-breeding survival, breeding habitat loss/damage potentially affecting reproductive output, and disease/parasites. Models fit to available data did not unambiguously identify any single factor contributing to observed population declines nor did the analysis prescribe management actions to stabilize or increase black duck numbers (Conroy et al. 2002). It is likely the proposed causes for black duck declines are not mutually exclusive. The connectivity among staging, wintering, and nesting areas is unclear for black ducks. Wintering populations in the Mississippi Flyway and the southern Atlantic Flyway (south of New Jersey) have both experienced significant declines, compared to the north Atlantic Flyway where numbers have stabilized in recent years. A possible explanation for this pattern may be linked to both wintering and breeding habitat and their connectivity: black ducks wintering in the south Atlantic and upper Mississippi Flyways may be philopatric to the boreal

3 3 biome in the western breeding range of Ontario and western Quebec, whereas wintering populations in the north Atlantic may be associated with the boreal areas of eastern Quebec and the Maritime Provinces (M. Petrie, Ducks Unlimited, unpublished data). Boreal communities in the western portion of the breeding range may be experiencing greater degrees of habitat loss and conversion, resulting in lower reproductive success. Our current understanding of migratory and wintering waterfowl ecology suggests food availability is a key factor limiting waterfowl populations during winter and migration (Haramis et al. 1986, Miller 1986, Conroy et al. 1989, Reinecke et al. 1989, Bergan and Smith 1993, Jeske et al. 1994), and habitat conditions during the non-breeding period may influence survival and subsequent reproductive success (Heitmeyer and Fredrickson 1981, Kaminski and Gluesing 1987, Raveling and Heitmeyer 1989). Because of the dichotomy in wintering population trends, a study is currently underway in New Jersey, New York, and Virginia, focusing on spatial variation in carrying capacity and will address wintering habitat limitation in the Atlantic Flyway. There also are research initiatives currently focused on breeding habitat associations in the boreal forest, especially in Quebec. However, a primary information gap not yet addressed is the identification and relative importance of stopover areas during spring and fall migration. Deploying satellite radios on hen black ducks will allow us to examine geographic connections between breeding and wintering areas, as well as answer questions regarding habitat use, migration chronology, and stopover duration (use days). Although several studies are currently documenting local habitat use in the Atlantic Flyway, change in habitat use over the course of spring and fall migration is virtually unknown for wintering black ducks at a range-wide scale. In addition, there is little understanding regarding potential variation in migration routes and chronology among different wintering populations. Objectives 1. Identify migration routes and potential linkages among wintering, migration (spring and fall) and breeding location. 2. Document local habitat use and movement patterns, and examine variation among wintering areas. 3. Document geographic habitat use patterns, identify key migration areas, and examine variation over both spring and fall migration among hens from different wintering areas. 4. Determine migration chronology, duration of stay and turnover, and examine differences among hens from different wintering areas. Scope & Location

4 4 Black duck trap sites for this study were concentrated in Northern Ohio (Ottawa NWR, Mud Creek Bay, and Castalia), Virginia (Caledon Natural Area, Chincoteague NWR and Brownsville Farm) and Southern New Jersey (Edwin B. Forsythe NWR and Cape May NWR) in 2007/2008. Additional trap sites will be added in Delaware and New York (Long Island) in 2008/2009. These locations represent areas where the highest densities of wintering black ducks occur in the Atlantic and Mississippi Flyways. Study Design During the winters of 2007/2008 and 2008/2009, black ducks will be captured using bait traps and rocket-nets. Following capture all birds will be weighed and a series of external structural measurements will be taken. In addition, the 9 th primary flight feather will be collected from all captured birds and frozen for subsequent isotope analysis to improve inference strength (Webster et al. 2002, Lindberg and Walker 2007). A total of 68 satellite transmitters (PTTs) will be attached to adult female (after hatch year) black ducks because of their importance in population dynamics and previous experience with migration routes and nesting areas. Each winter 10 adult females will be radioed in northern Ohio (Ottawa NWR, Mud Creek Bay and Castalia), Virginia (Caledon Natural Area, Chincoteague NWR and Brownsville Farm), and southern New Jersey (Edwin B. Forsythe NWR and Cape May NWR). An additional 8 adult females will be radioed in Delaware (n = 5) and Long Island, New York (n = 3) in 2008/2009. Captured adult females will be leg banded and fitted with model PPT-100 Solar Argos/GPS satellite transmitters from Microwave Telemetry, Inc., Columbia, Maryland. These units weigh 22 g, measure 62mm x 22mm x 14.5 mm, and include a 178 mm long hard nylon coated flexible stranded marine grade stainless steel antenna protruding at a 45 degree angle from the back. DU contact information will appear on transmitters in the event of harvest. PTTs will be attached dorsally between the wings by fashioning a harness of 0.38 cm wide Natural Tubular Teflon Tape (Bally Ribbon Mills, Bally, Pennsylvania). The completed harness will include breast and belly loops connected along the keel fashioned from a single length of tape with knots hardened by cyanoacrylate glue similar to designs by Miller et al. (2005), Malecki et al. (2001), and Petrie et al. (2003). These PTTs are solar powered with a positional accuracy of ±15m and may transmit up to 3 years. PTTs will be programmed to obtain 6 GPS receiver fixes daily and transmit data to Argos on a SiV (Satellite in View) schedule every 3rd day. Bird movements will be monitored using the ARGOS satellite tracking system (ARGOS 2007). Location data from PTT transmissions will be delivered

5 5 by CLS America, Inc. every 24 hours to project analysts at Ducks Unlimited s Great Lakes Atlantic Regional Office in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Location and movement data will be displayed using Arcview and an Animal Movement extension to Arcview (Hooge and Eichenlaub 1997) will be used to calculate distances traveled. Project analysts will integrate data into a web-based mapping application that will enable research partners and others to monitor movements and status of female black ducks during each year of the study. Preliminary Results American black ducks were captured using bait traps and rocket nets between 1 January and 28 February, 2008 at trapping locations in Ohio (Castalia), New Jersey (Cape May NWR and Edwin B. Forsythe NWR) and Virginia (Caledon Natural Area, Chincoteague NWR, and Brownsville Farm) (Fig 3). Twenty-nine (Castalia, OH = 9; Cape May NWR, NJ = 2; Edwin B. Forsythe NWR, NJ = 8; Chincoteague NWR, VA = 3, Brownsville Farm, VA = 3; Caledon Natural Area, VA = 4) adult females were PTT-tagged in Body mass of PTT-tagged females ranged from 990g to 1,405g and averaged 1,148g. Therefore, 22-gram PTT units averaged 2% of body mass with a range of 1.6% to 2.2%. Location (GPS and/or Argos) information was provided by 27 out of 29 PTTs (Table 1). Five PTTs provided no GPS location information and one of these was never heard from following deployment. An assessment of location information, activity readings and temperature readings suggest that 13 PTTtagged black ducks died during the first year. One PTT was found on Edwin B. Forsythe NWR in New Jersey by mosquito control personnel and another was traced to an active bald eagle nest in Ohio confirming two mortalities. As of 11 September, 2008, 11 of 29 PTTs continue to provide GPS location information. First year location information suggests that females PTT-tagged in Ohio followed a migration corridor north through eastern Michigan and settled in breeding areas located in southern Ontario (Fig. 4). Females PTT-tagged on the eastern shore of Virginia and in southern New Jersey followed a migration corridor along the east coast and settled in the Maritimes and North Atlantic. Females PTT-tagged on the western shore of Virginia followed a migration corridor north through Pennsylvania and New York and settled in southwestern Quebec and southeastern Ontario. PTT-tagged females first started departing wintering areas in Ohio, New Jersey and Virginia during late March (Fig. 5). Peak departures occurred during late March to early April and virtually all females had left wintering areas by mid-april (Fig. 5). A female from New Jersey and a female from Virginia did not depart until 7 May and 26 May, respectively. Location data provided by PTT-tagged black ducks was integrated into the Black Duck Tracker, a web-based mapping application that enabled research partners

6 6 and others to monitor movements and status of PTT-tagged female black ducks during the first year of the study. The Black Duck Tracker can be accessed at Kurt Anderson, a Master of Science graduate student under the guidance of Dr. Jake Bowman at the University of Delaware, enrolled in classes this fall and will be responsible for analyzing, summarizing, and publishing the results of this study. His contact information can be found on the cover page along with the principle investigators. Anticipated Output The research design outlined above will be the first attempt to examine connectivity across biomes and annual life cycle periods for American black ducks. Using new PTT technology, and associated satellite data downloading, results in efficient tracking and documenting local and large scale habitat use patterns, and determining migration chronology, flight paths, and duration of stay on migration and wintering locations. This information is critical for local conservation efforts and efforts to manage black ducks at a range-wide scale. Specifically, information regarding chronology and migration duration (use days) will be used in conjunction with energetic carrying capacity models to generate science-based habitat objectives for black duck habitat conservation during the non-breeding period (Soulliere et al. 2007). Management Implications This research will identify important black duck wintering and staging (spring and fall) areas leading to improved decision-making with respect to ongoing habitat protection and management efforts. Information regarding chronology and duration of stay (use days) also will be used in conjunction with energetic carrying capacity models currently being developed to generate habitat objectives during the non-breeding period. In addition, a better understanding of settling and habitats used on breeding areas will be gained through this work. Relationship to Other Projects This work is rooted in ongoing efforts to develop the scientific foundation necessary for guiding conservation actions under the NAWMP and within individual organizations. The project is a coordinated effort including the Upper Mississippi River & Great Lakes Joint Venture, Virginia Department of Game & Inland Fisheries, New Jersey Division of Fish & Wildlife, Ohio Division of Wildlife, University of Delaware, and Ducks Unlimited Inc. This proposal is directly related to and will augment ongoing research aimed at developing the necessary data to model wintering and spring habitat requirements of black ducks in the Atlantic and Mississippi Flyways.

7 7 Literature Cited ARGOS User s manual. Service Argos, Inc., Landover, Maryland, USA. Bergan, J. F., and L. M. Smith Survival rates of female mallards wintering in the Playa Lakes Region. Journal of Wildlife Management 57: Conroy, M. J., G. R. Costanzo, and D. B. Stotts Winter survival of female American Black ducks on the Atlantic Coast. Journal of Wildlife Management 53: Conroy, M. J., M. W. Miller, and J. E. Hines Identification and synthetic modeling of factors affecting American black duck populations. Wildlife Monographs 150. Haramis, G. M., J. D. Nichols, K. H. Pollock, and J. E. Hines The relationship between body mass and survival of wintering canvasbacks. Auk 103: Heitmeyer, M. E., and L. H. Fredrickson Do wetland conditions in the Mississippi Delta hardwoods influence mallard recruitment? Transactions of the 46 th North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference 46: Hooge, P. N., and B. Eichenlaub Animal movement extension to Arcview. Version 1.1. U.S. Geological Survey, Alaska Biological Science Center, Anchorage, Alaska, USA. Jeske, C. W., M. R. Szymczak, D. R. Anderson, J. K. Ringelman, and J. A. Armstrong Relations of body condition to survival of mallards in San Luis Valley, Colorado. Journal of Wildlife Management 58: Kaminski, R. M., and E. A. Gluesing Density and habitat related recruitment in mallards. Journal of Wildlife Management 51: Linberg, M. S., and J. Walker Satellite telemetry in avian research and management: sample size considerations. Journal of Wildlife Management 71: Malecki, R. A., B. D. J. Batt, and S. E. Sheaffer Spatial and temporal distribution of Atlantic population Canada geese. Journal of Wildlife Management 65: Miller, M. R Northern pintail body condition during wet and dry winters in the Sacramento Valley, California. Journal of Wildlife Management 50:

8 8 Miller, M. R., J. Y. Takekawa, J. P. Fleskes, D. L. Orthmeyer, M. L. Casazza, and W. M. Perry Spring migration of northern pintails from California s Central Valley wintering area tracked with satellite telemetry: routes, timing, and destinations. Canadian Journal of Zoology 83: NAWMP North American waterfowl management plan: strengthening the biological foundation (Implementation Framework). U.S. Department of Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, and Environment Canada, Canadian Wildlife Service. Petrie, S. A., and K. L. Wilcox Migration chronology of eastern population tundra swans. Canadian Journal of Zoology 81: Raveling, D. G., and M. E. Heitmeyer Relationships of population size and recruitment of pintails to habitat conditions and harvest. Journal of Wildlife Management 53: Reinecke, K. J., R. M. Kaminski, D. J. Moorehead, J. D. Hodges, and J. R. Nassar Mississippi Alluvial Valley. Pages in L. M. Smith, R. L. Pederson, and R. M. Kaminski, editors. Habitat management for wintering and migrating waterfowl in North America. Texas Tech University Press, Lubbock, Texas, USA. Soulliere, G. J., B. A. Potter, J. M. Coluccy, R. C. Gatti., C. L. Roy, D. R. Luukkonen, P. W. Brown, and M. W. Eichholz Upper Mississippi River and Great Lakes Region Joint Venture Waterfowl Habitat Conservation Strategy. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Fort Snelling, Minnesota, USA. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Waterfowl population status, U.S. Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C., USA. Webster, M. S., P. P. Marra, S. M. Haig, S. Bensch, and R. T. Holmes Links between worlds: unraveling migratory connectivity. Trends in Ecology and Evolution 17:76 83.

9 9 Personnel Dr. Tina Yerkes is in charge of landscape level planning and research initiatives for the Great Lakes/Atlantic Region of DU and oversees GIS, communications and habitat delivery programs across the region. She has experience with a variety of research issues related to waterfowl and wetlands: including breeding, wintering, and spring periods. She has mentored and co-advised 10 graduate students to date. She recently completed a large landscape study of breeding mallards in the Great Lakes states that was specifically designed to address uncertainty in habitat conservation program delivery in this area. Current spring and winter focused projects include: Wintering and spring needs of black ducks in New Jersey, New York, and Virginia, The value of urban wetlands for wintering and spring waterfowl in the Meadowlands, New Jersey, and spring needs of dabbling and diving ducks mid-latitude migration areas of the Great Lakes States. Dr. Jake Bowman received an M.S. and Ph.D. in Wildlife Ecology from Mississippi State University. Currently, Dr. Bowman is an Associate Professor of Wildlife Ecology at the University of Delaware s Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology. He teaches courses in wildlife management, wildlife research techniques, mammology, conservation of African wildlife, and community-based conservation. His research interests include wildlife restoration, wildlife techniques, population ecology, wildlife biometry, landscape ecology, habitat modeling, and habitat management. Dr. Bowman currently oversees four graduate students and has over 25 scientific publications. Schedule Winter 2007/2008 Fall 2008 Winter 2008/2009 Fall 2009 Fall 2010 First year trapping & radio-marking. Graduate student starts course work and conducts preliminary analysis of first year data. Submits first year annual report September 30. Second year trapping & radio-marking. Graduate student continues course work. Graduate student continues course work and conducts preliminary analysis of first and second year data. Submits second year annual report September 30. Graduate student completes course work, analyzes data, prepares final report and thesis, defends thesis, and submits manuscript(s) to professional journals.

10 10 Updated Budget Funding Source Category BDJV UMRGLJV DDFW DU UD ODW NJDFW VDGIF Total Personnel PI $0 $0 $0 $0 $11,800 $0 $0 $0 $11,800 Technicians/field support $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $10,000 $10,000 $10,000 $30,000 Graduate student support $0 $0 $0 $74,834 $34,000 $0 $0 $0 $108,834 Data processing & outreach $0 $0 $0 $25,000 $0 $0 $0 $0 $25,000 Travel $0 $0 $0 $14,000 $0 $0 $0 $0 $14,000 Materials/Equipment PTTs & data acquisition $60,000 $45,000 $30,000 $240,000 $0 $0 $0 $0 $375,000 Publications $0 $0 $0 $2,000 $0 $0 $0 $0 $2,000 Communications $0 $0 $0 $3,000 $0 $0 $0 $0 $3,000 Total $60,000 $45,000 $30,000 $358,834 $45,800 $10,000 $10,000 $10,000 $569,634 Match:BDJV 8.49:1 Non-Federal match:bdjv 7.24:1 Updated Budget Multi-Year Requests Year Funding Source FY08 FY09 Total BDJV $30,000 $30,000 $60,000 UMRGLJV* $15,000 $30,000 $45,000 DU $179,417 $179,417 $358,834 UD $22,900 $22,900 $45,800 DDFW $0 $30,000 $30,000 ODW $5,000 $5,000 $10,000 NJDFW $5,000 $5,000 $10,000 VDGIF $5,000 $5,000 $10,000 Total $262,317 $307,317 $569,634 * UMRGLJV FY08 funds ($15,000) granted but FY09 funds ($30,000) contingent upon FY09 budget.

11 11 Table 1. Number of adult female American black ducks marked with satellite transmitters and number of locations (GPS and Argos) obtained by trap location through September 11, # of black ducks marked # of GPS # of Argos Total # of Trap location locations locations locations Ohio 9 4,145 1,529 5,674 New Jersey 10 1, ,213 Virginia 10 2, ,781 Total 29 8,701 2,967 11,668

12 12 800, ,000 NAWMP Breeding Population Goal 600,000 Breeding population 500, , , , , Year Figure 1. Breeding population estimate and 90% confidence intervals for American black ducks in the eastern survey area, , from NAWMP (2004). Mid-winter total NAWMP Goal Mississippi Flyway Atlantic Flyway Figure 2. Number of American black ducks counted during the Mid-winter Inventory, , from USFWS (2007).

13 Figure 3. Trapping locations for adult female American black ducks PTT-tagged in Ohio, New Jersey, and Virginia during January February

14 Figure 4. Spring migration routes of adult female American black ducks PTT-tagged in Ohio, New Jersey and Virginia during January February,

15 Figure 5. Spring migration routes and chronology of adult female American black ducks PTT-tagged in Ohio, New Jersey and Virginia during January February,